Wolff

Butterflies

Nala kicked her feet up onto the seat in front of her, leaning back in her own. She slowly stuffed a chocolate chip cookie into her mouth as she scrolled through her instagram feed. Everywhere she looked, all she could see was her name. Nala Cameron. She could not get away from the headlines with her name in them.

In a way, Nala felt extordinarily excited about it, butterflies had been tickling the insides of her stomach for weeks on end now, waiting. But when she felt that excitement, she also recalled the dread she felt when she thought about finally being pushed into the spotlight. But she mostly tried to push that away and focus on the good.

Nala had just recently signed her first ever contract in Formula 1, heading to the new team, Audi to become the first ever woman to have a full-season contract. She was buzzing. A matter of fact, she was heading to her debut race right then, flying in her private jet to Bahrain where the race would be held.

To add to the excitement, Nala would also become the youngest ever driver to race in a Formula 1 Grand Prix at just 16 years and 362 days old. Meaning that her birthday would be held on the day of the race!

Nala could not fully comprehend just how massive this would be for her. But she could already start imagining. The lights. The fame. The fans. And the race. She just hoped she had a great debut race.

The plane ride into Bahrain was luxurious to say the least. Nala lounged on the cream-coloured leather seats, eating scumptious food and watched all her favourite movies from 'Tangeled' to 'Greece' to 'The Notebook'. When the plane landed at around 6 o'clock in Bahrain, Nala was already well rested and ready to start her day with a smile on her face.

A car was waiting at the front of the airport to pick up Nala and her 2 accompanying friends, her personal trainer, Marley, and her manager, Jaidyn. Marley and Jaidyn were like Nala's older siblings, Marley very much like the caring but goofy older brother, and Jaidyn like a close older sister. The trio piled into the car with their packed suitcases and chatter, beginning to tell the driver where to go.
"You seem a bit chipper this morning, Nala", Marley says to her with a yawn. Nala giggles to herself as she sees the look on Marley's face. "Well, I did actually sleep. Unlike the looks of you, Mars", Nala replies, earning a look from the boy beside her.

After around 10 minutes, the car stops at an expensively gorgeous hotel that reaches up to the sky. In the sunrise, everything looks spectacular. The windows shimmer in the yellowy orange light reflected upon it, and a light breeze makes the greenery sway. Nala lifts herself out of the car after Jaidyn, breathing in the air as she does so. Her first time in Bahrain and she already thinks its amazing. She sees beautiful stone fountains and gorgeous gardens, buildings that stretch forever and a sky that is simply perfect, clouded in purplely blues and pink and yellows.

"Good morning, ladies and gent", came a gentle female voice. It startled Nala out of her daydreams and she turned around to see a beautiful Arabic woman standing in a black suit with a delicate red scarf wrapped around her hair. She had a perfect smile with beautiful, straight teeth and a beauty mark just above her lip.

"Hello! My name's Nala. And this is Jaidyn and Marley", Nala waved slightly and gestured at her friends beside her. The woman kindly nodded her head in approval, skimming her eyes over the three friends.
"Right, well no time to waste! I'll show you all inside and you can go get rested after your journey", she says, turning and heading inside with Nala, Jaidyn and Marley following her.

The first thing Nala noticed when they walked into the amazing hotel was how massive and beautiful it was. Chandeliers, red carpet and Golden everything stretched out before Nala's lit up eyes. She breathed a content sigh before finally coming back down to earth and walking to the counter where the lady was waiting. She was handed the keys to her room with a waved goodbye and her and her two friends headed to the elevator.

"I can't believe I'm actually finally here! I just...ahhh", Nala sighed, her hands on her cheeks and her voice cracking with excitement. "Dad always talks about Bahrain and now I'm finally here" she continues.
"Just remember you can't let anyone know. It's for the best", Jaidyn reminds Nala as they step into the fancy elevator. Nala lets out a semi-irritated sigh as she responds with, "I know. I don't want anyone to know anyways. I want a name for myself and i don't need my last name to get in the way of that. I don't want to be known as 'Toto Wolff's daughter' cause I want to work myself. And now it's finally paying off." Nala shrunk back against the elevator wall as she thought about her father. Her father was Toto Wolff, one of the most famous people in Formula 1 and the CEO and principe of Mercedese. But she didn't want to be known publically as Wolff. She wanted to make a name of her own.

The elevator came to a stop at the 52nd floor, which is where Jaidyn and Marley got out to go to their rooms, saying goodbye to Nala before walking off down the corridors to find their rooms. The metal doors shut and suddenly Nala was completely alone.

Nala shut her eyes as she felt the butterflies in her stomach, scratching to escape. She had never felt more anxious. The weight of becoming a Formula 1 driver had finally set in and it was taking a toll on her. It was of course her dream, but there was so much pressure on her now. And she had to perform.